Episode 1710 - It's All Gravy
The tenth episode of Season 17 of Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox, on December 15, 2017. On that episode, the annual Blind Taste Test took place, a private dinner service occurred, and a satisfying elimination of a volatile chef happened. Intro While going back to the dorms, Elise called Van’s elimination shocking, did not understand why he had to go now, and declared that while she wanted Barbie gone, she would not sabotage a dinner service to do so. Dana agreed with Elise, especially after Barbie’s outburst during deliberation, but the latter overheard the red team discussing that, and said that she was going to keep her eyes on the prize. However, Michelle refused to believe that Barbie was a straight lunatic, despite being crazy, but Elise argued that Barbie should not be behaving like that for her age. Then, Elise bragged that she looked young for a 32-year-old, and that she worked out and ate right, while Milly sat drinking pop. Team challenge The next day, both teams came downstairs to find Ramsay next to camel in a Moroccan dining room setting, and while Benjamin called it gorgeous, he quickly retracted it by saying that his wife was more beautiful. Then, Ramsay explained that camels used to carry herbs and spices through the deserts, said that this camel brought something for their next challenge, and pulled out a pair of headphones and blindfolds, revealing that the annual Blind Taste Test would be their next challenge. However, Dana was not thrilled about that, recalling how difficult it was due to the headphones and blindfolds making it difficult. For that year, both teams would be tasting herbs and spices in a mashed potato puree, which Elise boasted that she had a good palate, and while one person would be tasting, their teammate would be seated in front of a mashed potato cannon. If the taster gets at least three correct answers, their teammate would be safe, but after two incorrect answers, the punishments would begin with the teammate getting shot at with mashed potatoes at two, dunked with gravy at three, and getting both punishments at four. Dana and Robyn were the first chefs from their teams to compete, and while the former recalled how she did poorly back in Season 10, she knew that a great chef needed a great palate. While Robyn got olive oil, cilantro, and vanilla, saving Milly, Dana failed to get all four of her ingredients correct, resulting in Michelle getting all three punishments, the blue team led 3-0, and Milly was grateful that Robyn’s palate was on point. On the second round, while both Nick and Jennifer failed to get their first two ingredients correct, resulting in both Robyn and Dana getting the cannon punishment, Nick was able to get garlic and basil, but Jennifer could not. So, Dana got the remaining two punishments, and the score was 5-0 for the blue team. On the third round, Benjamin admitted that while he could not remember what he scored back in Season 7, he knew that it was not a good performance. After, Benjamin correctly guessed mustard, black truffle, and parmesan, while Barbie could get the first and third ingredients correct, resulting in Jennifer getting shot at. The score was 8-2 for the blue team, and a very embarrassed Michelle bemoaned that all she could do was watch her team fail. On the four round, neither Milly nor Elise could guess their first two ingredients, resulting in both Benjamin and Barbie getting shot at, but before the third ingredient, Ramsay warned the red team that if Elise could not guess that ingredient, then the challenge would be over and the blue team would automatically win. Indeed, Elise incorrectly guessed parsley for celery root, Barbie got the gravy punishment, and the blue team won 8-2. While a dismayed Michelle called their challenge loss the lowest they have experienced, Ramsay was impressed that none of the blue team got gravy on themselves. Reward The blue team was rewarded with lunch at Roy Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian Fusion lunch, with Ramsay adding on that there was another surprise waiting for them. After hearing that reward, Nick deemed the blue team unstoppable. During the reward, the blue team found Vitamix blenders waiting for them at the restaurant, which excited Nick as his husband would be happy about that, while Milly commented that he was happy as shit due to missing out on that reward back in Season 14. During lunch, Milly commented that they had a full spread of food for them, Benjamin commented that they could fully appreciate the taste due to their strong palates, and the blue team celebrated winning the past four challenges over the red team, with Robyn giggling that her former teammates sucked. After, the blue team toasted to another dinner service victory. Punishment The red team was punished by cleaning up the dining room, separating peppercorn by color, and grinding them by hand. While being dismissed, Ramsay asked the red team what happened to their palates on the off seasons, before reminding Barbie that she was the best out of the team during that challenge, and she commented that her teammates needed to get their shit together if they were going to win challenges, before touching her gravy-covered pants with her hands, much to her disgust. During the punishment, Sous Chef Christina showed the red team their cleaning supplies, but Dana complained that she just took a shower only to be ankle deep in gravy once again. Later, the red team were separating the peppercorns, with Jennifer and Dana agreeing that it was their worst punishment yet. Then, Elise brought up Van’s elimination once again, but when Michelle commented that Barbie should have gone home instead, the latter retorted that it was good Ramsay did not think so, before proclaiming that she was going to focus only on herself from now on. However, that dismayed Jennifer as they needed to trust each other if they were going to win. When Sous Chef Christina noticed the tension between the five women, she asked if they could promise a good dinner service. However, Dana refused to make that promise, but when Barbie accused her of not believing in herself, she retorted that the person she did not believe in was the latter. Before service Later that night, both teams came downstairs to begin prepping for service and Ramsay had them lined up. For that night only, Hell’s Kitchen would be closed to the public, and would be hosting two charities with two twelve top tables. The red team would be cooking for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which Barbie knew was important as she lost her father to lung cancer, while the blue team would be cooking for Shane’s Inspiration. Then, Ramsay revealed that there would be a five-course menu, each of them would oversee their own courses, and he urged both teams to get both tables out at the same time. After, Ramsay asked Marino to open the doors for their guests. Dinner service Mindy Sterling, Tyler Posey, David Koechner, Jill Wagner, and Scott Williams were in attendance that night. For the menu, Nick and Michelle were in charge of the pan seared scallop course, Jennifer and Robyn were in charge of the lobster spaghetti course, Milly and Elise were in charge of the striped bass course, and Benjamin and Barbie were in charge of the beef filet Rossini. However, because the blue team was short a member, Nick was also in charge of the passion fruit soufflé course with Dana. After Ramsay told Michelle and Nick to get their course ready in six minutes, the former had her team cook all the scallops needed, while the latter had some of the blue chefs cooking while the others helped him plate, before expressing confidence that he can do it despite tackling two courses. In the red kitchen, Michelle noticed that she was missing three scallops, but nobody knew what happened as they were cooking ten each, with Elise accusing Michelle of forgetting to count. In the blue kitchen, Ramsay informed Nick that the scallops were getting more darker than needed, leading the latter to wonder if Milly was trying to sabotage him, and in the red kitchen, Michelle got her course out first, leading her to believe that it was a good start, despite the missing scallop fiasco. This led Robyn to mistakenly believe that it was time to move onto the next course, and when she called Jennifer over for times, an irate Ramsay called her stupid, before reminding her that the blue team’s scallops had to go out first. Despite that, Nick was able to get his first course out not long after Michelle did. On the second course, both teams were getting their pasta cooked, but the blue team was the first to start plating their lobster spaghetti. However, Ramsay discovered that Robyn was plating more pasta than needed and brought over Jennifer’s plate as an example of a normal sized portion. Because of that, the red team got their course out first, while the blue team, needing to fix up their portion sizes, sent theirs out not long after. On the third course, Ramsay had Milly and Elise agree on nine minutes for their bass to cook, but the latter took a dictatorship role for the red team, and ordered her teammates to do what she wanted as Ramsay noticed that Michelle was cooking the Berblanc sauce with no heat. In the blue kitchen, Milly was more direct with the blue team, delegating roles to Ramsay’s approval, and he wanted to make sure everybody on the blue team was doing something. When Ramsay warned the red team that the blue team was nearly ready, Michelle said that her sauce was just reducing, leading Ramsay to accuse Elise of forgetting that component earlier. However, Elise brought the sauce up regardless of Michelle’s comment, and Ramsay found out that it tasted bland, but while Elise blamed Michelle for not tasting it, the latter argued that the former grabbed it from her before she had the chance, leading to a brief argument. Thing soon got worse when Ramsay discovered that the bass was all burnt, and Elise accused her team of trying to sabotage her performance, argued that she could not cook and plate at the same time, and told Marino that it would take six minutes for the refire. In the blue kitchen, Milly got his course out in time, Ramsay praised him for a great job, and he said that while it was good to hear that, it felt better that his teammates heard that. As the Shane’s Inspiration table heckled the red team for their dysfunctional performance, Elise finally managed to get her course out to the red team’s table but was pissed as she still felt that the red team sabotaged her. On the fourth course, Barbie wanted to be firm with her team for her course, but when she asked Michelle to get the onions ready, the latter remembered that she promised Dana to help her on prepping the desserts. However, Barbie sternly reminded Michelle that she promised earlier, and the latter reluctantly deciding to multitask. In the blue kitchen, Benjamin was beginning to plate course, called himself a born leader, and refused to have anybody go out of line. Then, he rejected Milly’s froi gras for being cold, and in the red kitchen, Barbie was beginning to plate as well. However, Ramsay discovered that the potatoes tasted burnt, asked the red team if it was how they honored a charity, and Michelle called it a clusterfuck like the fish course as Ramsay tossed the burnt potatoes to Marino. In the blue kitchen, Milly got his refire accepted, and Benjamin got his course out afterwards. In the red kitchen, Barbie was pushing Michelle for the garnish, but when the latter told the former to watch the beef, Barbie aggressively screamed at Michelle for the spinach, much to Ramsay’s dismay who commented that it was no way to run a course, and Jennifer accused Barbie of sinking. Eventually, Michelle got the garnishes, but Barbie continued to argue with her teammates over plating, dismaying Ramsay even more. Despite that, the red team’s course was eventually sent out. On the fifth and final course, Dana knew that it was all down to the soufflés and hoped that her course went well enough for Ramsay to ignore the previous two courses. Quickly, both teams got their desserts served. Post-mortem After service, Ramsay gathered the red team, and said, from the bottom of his heart, that it was the worst charity night performance in the show’s history. So, the red team were named the clear losers, and Ramsay asked them to name two people for elimination. During deliberation, Elise knew that there was no teamwork that night, believed that Dana and Michelle were part of a clique, and declared that she did not trust the two. Then, Elise asked if it was Barbie and herself that night, with Michelle reminding Elise how she took a dictatorship role at the start of her course and being frazzled. Despite that, Elise vocally denied that and reminded Michelle how she cooked the sauce with no heat on, leading the latter to throw a water bottle at Elise. Then, Barbie brought up how her dish had 15 items to put together, but even though Dana reminded her how the potatoes were burnt, Barbie argued that it was the distractions that were the main problem. After, Michelle considered Barbie for failing to redeem herself, and Elise for being overly controlling that night for elimination, but the latter considered Barbie and Michelle. Then, Barbie considered Elise and Michelle for elimination, reminding the latter how she refused to help on garnish, but Michelle argued that she did not say that. After, Elise left the room and told the blue team how she cooked perfectly that night, while everybody on her team sabotaged her, before pinning Jennifer for the burnt fish earlier. However, Jennifer refused to let that slide, and that led to an argument between the two. Elimination Jennifer announced Barbie as the red team’s first nominee for elimination, with Elise as the second. During their pleas, Ramsay asked Barbie if the red team have given up on her, but the latter once again brought up the garnish incident with Michelle, even though the latter argued that she did, and said that the snappy comments were what sunk the red team. Then, Elise said that she started off strong, was not done yet, and that she repeated her orders to the red team despite the mistakes. After listening to their pleas, a dismayed Ramsay commented how shocked he was on the red team's fractured teamwork and was getting nothing but fighting and bitchfest. Barbie was eliminated for her aggressive leadership on her course, along with not bouncing back quicker, but before leaving, Ramsay praised her for her heart. During her exit interview, Barbie angrily argued that she was neither the worst chef on the red team or on Hell’s Kitchen and yelled that it was what it was. After Barbie left, Ramsay praised the blue team for their winning streak, and that they could be looking like the final four soon, while ordering the red team to get it together. While being dismissed, Dana was happy that her wildest dream came true, but admitted that the better outcome would have been both Barbie and Elise going home, while Milly said that the red team have been arguing since day one, before saying that he did not see any of them at the head chef position. Then, Elise said that there was nowhere to hide now and believed that Michelle and Dana were the weakest chefs on the red team now. Ramsay's comment: "Barbie's performance at charity night was a disaster. So, I performed a charity act for her team by sending her home." Category:Episodes Category:All-Stars